Bravo beefs up social offerings with ‘Social Snaps’ and ‘Top Chef Home Edition’

NBCUniversal’s Bravo channel continues to beef up its social offerings, focusing on content that engages fans of its programs and “Bravolebrities.” Today, the channel is unveiling two new efforts on that front.

The first is called “Social Snaps,” which aggregates photos from “Bravolebrities” on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and puts them all in one place for fans to see. Tied to the launch of the new season of “Top Chef,” the channel is launching “Toyota’s #TopChef Social Snaps,” which collects pics from contestants and judges.
Bravo is also launching what it calls “Top Chef Home Edition,” which was created by Starcom USA, along with Kraft Foods. “Home Edition” features games designed to help amateur chefs improve their skills, with “Quickfire” games based on actual events from the show for those looking for more of a challenge. Former contestants Brooke Williamson, Spike Mendelsohn and Tiffany Derry will all appear in “Top Chef Home Edition.”

New “Social Snaps” Aggregates Bravolebrities’ Instagram, Facebook and Twitter Activity in Real Time Photo Stream; Toyota to Be First Sponsor of Feature for New Season of “Top Chef”

NEW YORK – Oct. 7, 2013– Bravo Media today unveiled two new digital content offerings for fans: “Top Chef Home Edition”—a digital and social extension of the network’s signature on-air culinary competition, “Top Chef” and “Social Snaps,” a photo stream aggregating content from various Bravolebrities’ social feeds.

“We are constantly introducing new and evolving our digital offerings that enable fans to engage with their favorite shows and Bravolebrities,” said Lisa Hsia, EVP of Digital, Bravo & Oxygen Media. “Top Chef Home Edition and Social Snaps are designed to tap into our fans’ passion at every level.”

Created by Starcom USA in collaboration with Kraft Foods and Bravo, “Top Chef Home Edition” will engage fans and foodies across the spectrum. Casual fans can explore entertaining and user friendly activities, such as theme-based games that will help novice chefs grow their culinary expertise, while enabling evolved foodies to put their cooking skills to the test via classic Quickfire Challenges pulling from past seasons as well as original challenges inspired by the show.

Found within BravoTV.com’s “Top Chef” show site and responsively designed and available across all digital platforms, “Top Chef Home Edition” aims to elevate cooking at home by integrating Kraft Recipe Makers and inspire fans to play, share and cook to overcome the mid-week cooking slump. Former “Top Chef” stars including Brooke Williamson, Spike Mendelsohn and Tiffany Derry will engage fans across their social platforms with Home Edition tips using designated hashtags #topchefhome and #foodie to invite fans to participate in the experience.

“This is an example of what Starcom is all about—understanding human needs and behaviors,” said Lisa Donohue, Starcom USA CEO. “Kraft was targeting a new category aimed at helping people who love to cook and set high standards for themselves, even midweek, so we investigated this emotional need state that was not being met. These consumers see contestants on Top Chef reviewed, critiqued and appreciated for the choices they make, but there is no reliable mechanism to give them the same experience. By creating a connected digital platform, we could provide that credibly with the assistance of the Top Chef program.”

BravoTV.com also debuts “Social Snaps,” a new feature that offers a real-time peek into the social lives of Bravolebrities across the network’s shows. Starting with Toyota’s #TopChef Social Snaps, for the first time, Bravo will grant fans real-time access to Top Chef judges, Chef’testants and Toyota via live, continuous photo streams aggregated from Twitter, Instagram and Facebook into one place.

The new season of “Top Chef” set in New Orleans airs every Wednesday at 10p.m. ET/PT.

Bravo is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been an NBCUniversal cable network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. For more information, visit www.BravoTV.com. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BravoPR.

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